1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protector for a wire harness and more particularly relates to a connecting type protector in which small segments divided in a longitudinal direction are assembled to enhance strength of a coupling site.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a wire harness to be arranged in a motor vehicle has been upsized and complicated and an amount of electrical cables has been increased more and more. Since a space for arranging a wire harness in a motor vehicle is limited, it has been required for the wire harness to be arranged in a narrow space along a vehicle body panel in a high accuracy and density manner. Furthermore, in order to avoid interference between the wire harness and external components, a protector made of a resin product sheathes the wire harness in many cases.
In the case where the protector made of the resin product cannot be formed at a time by die-molding on account of a complicated bent configuration of the protector, the protector is divided into a plurality of segments to mold the segments individually and then the divided segments are assembled to form the protector.
FIG. 8 shows an example of a prior art connecting type protector including gutter-like protector members 1A and 1B. The protector member 1A is provided on a bottom wall 2 with holding bottom pieces 4 into which a distal end of a bottom wall 3 of the protector member 1B is inserted and held. The protector member 1A is provided on opposed side walls 5 with holding side pieces 7 into which distal ends of opposed side walls 6 of the protector member 1B is inserted and held. The bottom wall 3 and opposed side walls 6 of the protector member 1B are superposed on inner surfaces of the bottom wall 2 and opposed side walls of the protector member 1A. The distal ends of the bottom wall 3 and opposed side walls 6 of the protector member 1B are inserted into and held in the holding bottom pieces 4 and holding side pieces 7 of the protector member 1A. An engaging protrusion 8 that projects from a rear side of the bottom wall 3 of the protector member 1B is engaged with an engaging recess provided on a front side of the bottom wall 2 of the protector member 1A. Then, the protector members 1A and 1B are connected to each other. (See JP HEI 10 (1998)-84613 A1)